A Number 16 Jersey, and a Whole Lot of True Northern Pride
by The Shadow of the Wolf
Summary: Percy knew better than to wear his prized Jersey into that hell-hole they called Goode High school, but his pride got the better of him that day. Or, In which a lonely Winnipeg Jets fan in the Rangers' City finds an unlikely friend after a playoff sweep. AU Oneshot, written for the Stanley Cup Playoffs


**So I decided to do something a little different for once, just a little distraction that I thought I'd turn into a one-shot. If you've read Elysium, don't worry, I'm still working on that I promise.**

 **Also, seriously. This is like, ridiculously AU.**

 **This AU goes out to my favorite hockey team, the Winnipeg Jets.** **Even though we did get swept in the 1st round by the Ducks, I'd like to give a huge shout out to the players, coaches, and fans, and of course, the #WPGWhiteout, which was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. As one of the only Jets fans where I live, I don't get a warm welcome very often, which is part of the inspiration for commemorate the great season the Jets had, and to congratulate the Anaheim Ducks on their victory, I give you this AU oneshot! And now that the season's over, congradulations to the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the cup! Alright, Enjoy!**

* * *

Percy shouldn't have worn his jersey to school today.

Of course, attending Goode High School, in the heart of Manhattan, he should have known better that to walk into school wearing a Winnipeg Jets jersey, especially after a sweep, but his pride got the better of him. It wasn't like people there needed any more reason to mock him, so he figured it couldn't do any harm. He was wrong.

In the first half of the day, he had dealt with dozens of jeers and insults, and narrowly dodged two slices of god-awful pizza. For god's sake, even Annabeth Chase had mocked him, and she didn't even _know_ who Wayne Gretzky or Bobby Hull were.

So now he sat outside in the sun, surprisingly cool in his dark blue jersey, staring at the concrete sidewalk, too lost in his own thoughts to do anything.

"Mind if I join you?" A girl said from somewhere behind him. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place who it was.

"Go right ahead." Percy said, waving his arm lazily off towards one side, not bothering to look up. There was the sound of tennis shoes scrapping against the ground, the girl sat down. He was starting to find the resilient patch of grass growing through the cracks in the pavement more and more interesting. Shortly after, a heavy silence fell over them, Percy staring at the same patch of grass, while the girl did whatever the hell she was doing.

"I like your jersey," She said at last.

"Thanks." Percy said, still not looking up.

"16? That's Ladd right?" She asked, and although she couldn't see, Percy smiled.

"Yep. The Captain. He..."

"Used to play for the Chicago Blackhawks." The both said at the same time. Percy smiled, and let out a small, genuine laugh.

"I know a little bit about hockey." She said with faux smugness.

" I could see that." Percy replied lightly. He was really glad that this girl had stopped, and decided to brighten his incredibly shitty day. "Sorry. I never did properly say Hi. I'm Percy." He said, finally looking up at his visitor. She had long, dark hair, and mesmerizing volcanic black eyes.

"Zoe." She said with a smile that Percy couldn't decipher. "I still like your jersey, but I really hope you don't mind..." She spoke, trailing off.

"Don't mind wha...oh." Percy started, as she pointed to the logo emblazoned proudly across the front of her shirt: _Anaheim Ducks_.

"Sorry." She said teasingly.

"And here I thought we were friends." He replied in the same tone.

"Friends? I mean we barely know each other."

"Well, you're the only one who hasn't treated me like absolute shit today because of my choice in teams, so at this point I'd call that friends." Percy said simply, dropping his gaze down back to the cement.

"Well alright then." Zoe said, shifting to lean back on her hands.

"So tell me, what's a Ducks fan doing in New York?" He asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"But I asked you first."

"Fine. You win." She said, and Percy smiled, flipping some of his hair out of his eyes as he waited for her to start her tale. "There's not really much to tell. Born and raised in California. Brought up on Dodgers Baseball and Ducks Hockey. Then we moved to New York just before Freshman year for my dad's job." She finished reminiscing with a sigh. "What about you, Captain?"

"Well...Ok..." Percy said reluctantly, taking a deep breath. "My dad...He was born in Winnipeg. Lived there for _years._ Worked in the train yards. The summer of '96 he moved to New York, got a job on a ship, met my mom, and two years later had me." He said, rubbing his face with his hands, bracing himself for the next part. "He wasn't around a lot, you know? Had to sail across the world every month. So when my dad would come back, he used to tell me all these stories, about Winnipeg, the games he saw, the great Dale Hawerchuck and the Finnish Flash, and show me the old Teamu Selanne jersey he bought when he was sixteen. And then...one day, he never came back. The _SS Kalona_ , lost with all hands." Percy said bitterly, and unwanted tear trailing down his cheek . "And all I was left with was that damn jersey and his stories."

"I understand." Zoe said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"So that's the story of Manhattan's lone Jets fan." Percy said sadly.

"Hey, well I'm the only Ducks fan here." Zoe said, in a lame attempt to cheer him up. Percy chuckled.

"Very true." Percy said. "But we're still the better team."

"We swept you!" Zoe said with mock indignation, giving Percy a light shove.

"Don't worry. We'll return the favor next season." Percy retorted cheekily. "And also. Captain? Really?"

"Yes, really." She replied with a smile. "You are wearing a C aren't you? Besides, I think if fights."

"Well whatever you say."

"Exactly. And I say it fits, so now you're stuck with it." She said, and they both laughed, before falling into a much more comfortable silence.

"So..." Zoe said after a few minutes. "My asshole ex-boyfriend was a huge Rangers fan, and I bought us tickets to a Pens-Rangers game for our anniversary. The douche broke up with me last week for the skank he cheated on me with." She said acidly, while Percy shot her a concerned look. "Sorry." She muttered. "Anyways...I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go with me?"

"I'd love to." Percy said, with a genuine smile. Today hadn't been so bad after all.


End file.
